Improvement in fish-hatching boxes



Fish Hatchipg Boxes.

BRYAN,

-Patented May 19, 1874 No.l5l,080.

uooosevaaooe FIG.

W/TME'SSES:

UNITED STATES OLIVER N. BRYAN, OF AGCOKEEK, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FISH-HATCHING BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

April 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, OLIVER N. BRYAN, of Accokeek, in tlie county of Prince Georges and State of Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Prop agators or Spawn-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact dc scription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a spawn-hatcher which may be used not only in the shallows, but in stormy or agitated waters, and which shall safely ride in the waves, and preserve its contents always in their normal state of agitation. To this end my said invention consists of a spawn or hatching box having its riding or breasting end inclined, so as to rise and fall with the waves, and supported upon the surface of the water by floats or outriggers at right angles to the length of the said box, which also has a rounded stern, in combination with a screen-bottom and a tidegage upon the bottom, whereby a certain and proper quantity of the iiowing tide is gently but positively directed through the bottom screen, and caused to almost naturally agitate the spawn, by following the line of the rounded stern; and, in order to prevent any possibility of the upsetting ot' the box, it is provided upon its bottom with a suilciently weighty balancing-keel, which tends constantly to keep the box in proper position, and to right it if overturned, the whole being constructed as will be presently described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a top view, and Fig. 3 a front view, of a iish-spawn hatcher embracing my invention.

The box A is oblong,and has an inclined riding or breastin g end, B, so that it may easily rise and fall with the beats of the waves. It

is supported upon the water by floats or outriggers C G', which are attached to each end of the box, and placed at right angles to the length thereof, which outriggers G G may be of any suitable length in proportion to the state ofthe water-lon ger for roughwater, and

151,080, dated May i9, 1874; application filed shorter for smooth-the front Outrigger G being placed nearer to the bottom, in order to elevate the breasting end; and the rear outrigger G is raised nearer the top, to give the proper inclination to the box. In any condi tion of water, however, the breasting end B should be somewhat elevated by the oat C. The rear end D of the box is rounded, to act, in combination with a tide-gage, E, to direct the dowing tide with a circular motion within the box. This tide-gage extends, in aline produced from the bottom of the rounded end D, a short distance underneath the bottom of the box, and across it, to receive the necessary quantity of the owing tide, and directs it upward through the screen F, forming the bot tom of the box, in the line of the curved end D, so that a gentle agitation of the spawn is at all times effected by the circular motion of the water. The top of the box is also supplied with a hinged gauze cover, G, which may befastened by a button, H, if desired, and :is kept open generally, but in the night, and

`when there is danger of the water being agitated by storms andsteamboats, itis closed; and, no matter how rough the water may be, the spawn receives no injury by being scattered or washed out. The box is provided on its bottom with a bowed balancing keel, I,`

which is sufficiently weighty to right the box if, by any accident, it should be overturned. But the floats or outriggers, however, serve to prevent any lateral overturning of the box, but these, in combination with the balancingkeel, guard very effectually against such accidents.

The boxes may be anchored, if desired but I prefer to attach them by the bow-cord J, either one box to a stake by a loop, or several connected boxes, in line, to one stake. This arrangement allows them to float freely without entanglement with their fastenings.

l. In a sh propagator or spawn box, the front inclined breasting and riding end B, as and for the purpose described.

2. ln a ish propagator or spawn -box, the end floats or outriggers G C', arranged at right angles to the length of the box, and at ditl'erA ent heights from the bottom and from each other, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a spawn-box, such as above claimed, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the balancing-keel I7 as and for the purpose my Own I ayx my signature in presence of described. two Witnesses.

4. The combination in such spawn-box, of T the rounded stern erid D with tide-gage E OLlVER l" BRYAN' and screen-bottom F, for the purpose Of prop- Witnesses: erly directing the Water to agita-te the spawn, A. E. H. JOHNSON,

as described. J. W. HAMILTON J OHNsON. 

